Feeding apparatus for glass-forming machines



May 16, 1950 H. J. BLACKHURST 727502753 FEEDING APPARATUS FOR GLASS-FORMING MACHINES Filed March 51, 1947 6 Sheets-Sheet l f0 YNVENTOR. 3 HOMER J.BLACKHURST ATTORN EY y 3950 H. J. BLACKHURST 2,507,753

FEEDING APPARATUS FOR GLASS-FORMING MACHINES Filed March 51, 1947 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY May 16, 1950 H. J. BLACKHURST FEEDING APPARATUS FOR GLASS-FORMING MACHINES 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 51, 1947.

INVENTOR, HOMERJBLACKHURST ATTORNEY May 16, 1950 H. J. BLACKHURST 2,507,753

FEEDING APPARATUS FOR GLASS-FORMING MACHINES Filed March 31, 1947 6 SheetsSheet 4 .Q INVENTORA HOMER J.BLACKHURST ATTORN EV May 16, 1950 H. J. BLACKHURST 2,507,753

FEEDING APPARATUS FOR GLASS-FORMING MACHINES Filed March 51, 1947 e Sheets-Sheet 5 l NVENTOR. HOMER .1. BLACKHURST ATTORNEY May 16, 1950 H. J. BLACKHURST FEEDING APPARATUS FOR GLASS-FORMING MACHINES 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed March 31,' 1947 VA 1 H WINNIE-W INVENTOR. HOMER J.BLACKHURST ATTORNEY Patented May 16, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FEEDING APPARATUS FOR GLASS-FORMING MACHINES 4 Claims.

This invention relates primarily to apparatus for the feeding or directing of charges or gobs of molten glass to the molds of glass-forming machines, but it will be understood that the invention is capable of use in delivering mold charges to traveling molds of other types of forming machines.

Conventional glass-forming machines are mainly of the indexing or intermittently-moving type, the stopping and starting of these machines to provide pauses for feeding the mold charges and for shapin the charges in the molds not only subjects the machine to shocks, vibrations and excessive wear, but reduces the number of articles which can be formed per minute, as compared to a continuously-moving machine.

While continuously-moving glass-forming machines have heretofore been employed, some difficulty has been experienced in supplying charges of glass to the molds in an efficient and simple manner.

My invention has for its object the provision of apparatus for supplying glass charges to traveling molds, in an improved and simple manner, no matter at what rate the mold carrier is moving, and whereby the glass charges are deposited in a symmetrical or centralized position within the molds, so that when the glass is expanded in the molds, there will be better uniformity of distribution of the glass than is possible where the glass charge is dropped into the mold in a haphazard manner.

As shown in the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a sectional plan view of a portion of a glass-forming machine; Fig. 2 is a view on an enlarged scale taken on the line II-II of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an elevational view, partly in section, looking in the direction of the arrows III-III of Fig. 1 and showing the outer end of a glassfurnace forehearth and a sectional view through the mold-charge delivering apparatus; Fig. 4 is a plan view, on an enlarged scale, of a portion of the glass-charging apparatus of Fig. 1, taken n the line IV--IV of Fig. 5; Fig. 5 is a view taken on the line V--V of Fig. 4; Fig. 5A is an extension of the lowerpart of a portion of Fig. 5; Fig. 6 is an enlarged plan view of the funnelshifting cam ring of Fig. 5, on a still further enlarged scale; Fig. 7 is a view taken on the line VIIVII of Fig. 6, and Fig. 8 is a sectional view, on an enlarged scale, through the mold conveyor of Fig. 1, showing the manner in which the molds are incorporated therein.

While the invention is capable of use in connection with glass-forming machines of either the press type, the press-and-blow type, or the narrow neck bottle type, and in connection with forming machines of either the turret or rotating table type, or of the conveyor chain type, I have herein shown my invention as applied to a simple form of machine of the conveyor chain type, wherein the ware is formed simply by pressing the mold charges of softened glass in the molds, during uninterrupted travel of the molds.

As shown more clearly in Fig. 1, the machine comprises a motor II] for driving a gear wheel I l and its shaft l2, the shaft carrying a sprocket wheel l3 near its upper end. A sprocket chain [4 is driven by the sprocket wheel l3 and passes around also a sprocket wheel l5 that is mounted on a shaft l6 which carries, on a lower portion thereof, a gear wheel ll which, in turn, drives gearing for moving the glass-directing funnels as will be hereinafter explained. Press molds l8, having vertically-movable bottoms it provided with plunger-like extensions 20 for raising the molds bottoms to eject press ware from the mold as by a stationary cam rail 22 that is positioned below the path of the conveyor chain, may all be of conventional form. Also usual guide tracks or guide rails 23 are provided (Figs. 3 and 4) to afford vertical support to the conveyor chains.

As shown more clearly in Fig. 3, molten [charges of glass are supplied from a forehearth or boot 25 of a glass-melting furnace, to a spout 26. The forehearth is here shown as provided with two feedin orifices 2'! through which there is regulated flow of glass. As the glass emerges from the orifices, it is sheared by shears 28 to form mold charges 29. The shears will be operated in any suitable andusual manner, in time relation to movement to the molds and the operation of the pressing plunger or other glassshaping element. Sometimes, one feeder orifice will be sufficient, but where the forming machine is moved at a rate to from perhapsor more articles per minute, two feeder orifices will probably be required.

The spout 26 is of generally Y-form, so that it will catch charges of glass from either orifice and direct them to a central opening 3i through a bracket 32, the glass then falling into the funnels to be hereinafter described. The bracket 32 (Fig. 5) has one end anchored to a stationary upright column 33, and has a leg 3% connected to one of the guide rails 23 that supports the conveyor.

A tubular shaft 35 (Fig. 5) is journaled on the stationary post 33 and has secured to its lower end, a wide-faced gear wheel 38, by screws 37. The tubular sleeve 35 is supported at its lower end (Fig. A) by an anti-friction bearing 38 a base 39. the shaft and the parts carried thereby being vertically adjustable by nuts 40 that have screw-threaded connection with the post 33. The gear wheel ll, through gear wheels 42 and 43, drives the gear wheel 36 and the shaft'35. A fixed post'dl supports the bearings for the gear wheel 42-43.

The tubular shaft 35 at its upper end has -a' wide flange or table 4'4 that CaI'IlBS-a1'1d-Sh9.S:1'lg-- idly secured thereto a spider 45 in which are pivotally mounted levers 4'6 of bell-crank type.

Each of the cranks 46 has a funnel carrying arm 41 that is yieldably projected outwardly by a spring 48, the arm having pin-and-slot connection at 49 with its crank. A funnel 5i is'carried by each arm, and each arm at its outer end is provided with an anti-friction roller '52.

The rollers 52- are engageable with a guide plate'or bar -53 during a portion of the annular travel 'of the funnels and while they are,.in effect, overlapping thepathof travel of the mold conveyor. Thefunnel-carrying arms 41 are of such length. that normally theywould'project the-funnels-somewhat"-beyond the center line of mold travel when the molds are passing the funnel carrier. In order to provide for parallel travel of the funnels and the molds during the time that glass charges are passing through the funnel and into the-molcLthe bar 53 is-mounted in such position that it will engage therollers 52 as-soon as their respective funnels are centered over .the molds, and the springs id-will be compressed by the bar 53 toeffect such parallel travel. The bar 53'is mounted on bolts or-screws 54 that areslidably'supported by the bracket member 34, the bar being provided withback up'springs 55 that areof greater'strength'thanthe spring 48.

This arrangement notonlygives adequate time for a mold charge to be guided from the moving funnels into themoving molds but, since the funnels move in the same direction as the molds during their travel in theoverlapping-portions of their paths, the funnels impart forward movements to the=mold charges, so that the charges can be deposited in the centers of the molds instead of being caught against the rear sides of the molds as would be the case if they were simply dropped into the molds. The gearing I1, 42. 43 and 36, of course, insures synchronism of funnel travel with mold travel.

It will be understood that the shears 28 are operated by-a suitable timer in timed relation to the travel of the mold carrierand the funnel carrier, such synchronism of shear operation and mold travel being effected by means Well known in the glass-forming art. Where the mold carrier or conveyor-is moving at a very'rapid rate, the-shears 28 will be operated alternately to insureasufliciently rapid supply of mold charges. At slower speeds, oneof'the-feeding orifices 2'! can be closed and its shear left out of operation. The spout 26 is, of-course, made wide-faced,-so that it can receive m'old charges from bothorinoes.-

In order to permit movement of the funnels 5! into the molds somewhat as shown in Fig. 5, I provide a cam ring or collar 53 that is secured to the stationary post33 and has its .camming surface engage-able with rollers v59 that are on the upper legs of the crank levers 4 3. When'la funnel approaches the positionshownin. Fig; 5,

above a mold and is about to receive a mold charge through the opening 3| from the spout 25, the roller will pass out of engagement with the camming surface of the ring 58, at 60 (Fig. 6), thus allowing the funnel to move down into the mold somewhat. As the funnel-guiding roller 52 approaches the other end of the guide bar 53, the roller 52 will enter upon the raised surface of the camming ring, at 6 l thus lifting the funnel out of the mold as shown at the right hand side of Fig. 5 and permitting continued travel of the mold without interference from the funnel.

To adapt the funnels to molds of various heights, the nuts 4!! will be adjusted on the post 33 to raise and lower the tubular shaft 35. The camcollar-58 can similarly be adjusted on the post.

When each mold has passed the guide bar 53 and reaches the sprocket l5, the glass will be pressed in the mold by a plunger 62, to shape the glass by a pistonand' cylinder 63 or 'otherdevice for raising and lowering the plunger. Fluid pressurewill be admitted to the upper and'lower ends of the cylinderto move :the plunger into the mold .andtoraise it, this operation being controlledby asuitable-timer to synchronizewith the movement of the molds, asis'common in devices of this-character. It will be understoodpof course, that forming devices other than the pressing plungers 52 may 'be'provided on the turret which carries the cylinders 62.

The drawings also disclose a novel mounting of the molds, whereby they can be conveniently removed from theconveyor chain, and also will e automatically centered by the-pressing plungers 52 during glass-shaping operations. To this end, the sides of the molds l8 have flanges [8a that'will slide into grooves 65 'in blocks'fifi of generally semi-circular form (Figs. 1 and 5) that are carried by: the conveyor links so that when the mold bottoms l9 and their stems 2D are'lifted out, the .mold sides"|8..can be slid from'theconveyor, for the substitution of other molds. There is some clearance between the flange [8a and the wall-of the groove .55 (Fig. 5), so that whenathe slightly tapered .press plunger 62 enters the mold (Fig; 2) there can be some slight shiftingof the mold wall :sidewiseyto centerit with respect to the .axis of the plunger.

I claim as my invention:

1. Apparatus for feeding glass charges to molds that are mountedfor continuous travelingimove ment, comprising funnels positioned in a plane above the path of mold travel; adevice rotatable about a vertical axis that is located adjacentto said path, for moving the funnels in'anannular path that overlaps the path of mold :travelfor a substantial distance along said path, means for rotating said device in synchronism with traveling movement of the molds, meansfor periodically raising and lowering the funnels, and means foreso'shifting the funnels radially of saidexis, during movement of the molds and the funnels and'in timedrelation to said raising and lowering, that the funnels will successively move in parallelism with the molds while traveling said distance and glass charges fed to the funnels will be deposited in the molds during said parallel travel.

2. Apparatus for feeding glass charges to'molds that aremountedfor continuous traveling movement, comprising funnels positioned in a plane above the path of mold travel,.a device :rotatable about a vertical axis that is located adjacent 'to said .path, for moving the. funnels an annular and means for raising and lowering the funnels relative to the molds, while traveling in other portions of their annular path.

3. Apparatus for feeding glass charges to molds that are mounted for continuous traveling movement, comprising a column positioned to one side of the path of travel of the molds, for rotation on a vertical axis, funnel-supporting arms carried by the column and projecting radially therefrom, funnels carried by the arms, means yieldably holding the funnels in a predetermined radial position relative to the column, the annularpath in which the funnels are moved being located in a plane above the molds, a part of said path overlapping the path of mold travel, means for shifting the funnels radially of the column and in a horizontal plane during movement along said part of the funnels path, to positions at which they successively move in parallelism with the path of mold travel, whereby mold charges may be guided by the funnels into the molds during said parallel movement, and means for lowering the funnels successively as they come into said position of parallelism with the molds and for raising them when they approach the end of said parallel path 01' travel.

4. Apparatus for feeding glass charges to molds that are mounted for continuous traveling movement, comprising a vertical shaft positioned to one side of the path of travel of the molds, a tubular column rotatable on the lower portion of the shaft, funnel-supporting arms pivotally carried by the column and projecting radially therefrom, the arms being provided with vertical extensions at their inner ends, funnels 0n the outer ends of the arms, means operable during travel of the funnels in their annular path, for shifting them radially of the column, in a horizontal plane, to direct their movements into parallelism with the mold travel, through a portion of said path, and camming means on the said vertical shaft and engageable with said extensions, for raising the funnels as they leave said portion of the path and for lowering them as they enter this portion of their path.

HOMER J. BLACKHURST.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,331,536 Soubier Feb. 24, 1920 1,575,370 Lorenz Mar. 2, 1926 1,600,488 Rule Sept. 21, 1926 1,852,171 Lobb Apr. 5, 1932 1,926,764 Dorman Sept. 12, 1933 2,111,296 O'Neill Mar. 15, 1938 2,329,146 Teichmann Sept. 7, 1943 

